Takuya Kuroda - Midnight Crisp / Fly Moon Die Soon [2CD]

First Word Records

£13.50

Format: 2 x CD
Catalogue No.: FW260CD
Barcode: 5050580790339
Release Date: 21 Oct 2022
Genre: Jazz / Fusion

01: Midnight Crisp - Takuya Kuroda
02: Time Coil - Takuya Kuroda
03: It's Okay - Takuya Kuroda
04: Dead End Dance - Takuya Kuroda
05: Old Picture - Takuya Kuroda
06: Choy Soda - Takuya Kuroda
07: Fade (feat. Corey King) - Takuya Kuroda
08: ABC - Takuya Kuroda
09: CHANGE (feat. Corey King) - Takuya Kuroda
10: Do No Why - Takuya Kuroda
11: Fly Moon Die Soon - Takuya Kuroda
12: Moody - Takuya Kuroda
13: Sweet Sticky Things - Takuya Kuroda
14: Tell Me A Bedtime Story - Takuya Kuroda
15: TKBK - Takuya Kuroda

First Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new album from Takuya Kuroda!

Takuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. 'Midnight Crisp' is Takuya's seventh studio album, entirely self-produced and following 2020's highly acclaimed 'Fly Moon Die Soon', also released on UK label First Word (winner of the Worldwide Award's Label of the Year in 2019). Consisting of six new tracks, this once again sees Takuya displaying his unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop.

After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.

Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band. Premier said "The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…"

Takuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing six albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.

His last album was the afore-mentioned 'Fly Moon Die Soon' on First Word, which appears on the second disc here on CD for the very first time, and received plays and support from the likes of Pitchfork, Earmilk, Bandcamp Weekly, Worldwide FM, All About Jazz, Apple Music, Tidal, Stereogum, Treble, Brooklyn Vegan, FIP (France), Tony Minvielle, Jazz FM, Huey Morgan (BBC 6 Music), BBC Radio 3, Novena Carmel, KCRW and tons more DJs, tastemakers, selectors, radio stations, bloggers & magazines.

The new project 'Midnight Crisp' will be released October 21st 2022 on vinyl, CD and digital, worldwide via First Word Records.